Interesting reference, seeing that the game was 'born' when the original programmers and producers discussed the concept on usenet.
Being on Steam would be a great way to introduce it to new fans and it already has a 'workshop' with new servers and other mods via its open source community. I know many would appreciate it being on there - the more, the merrier. I think after 20 years, the impact such a boon could have is more positive.
['Netiquette' was definitely a part of the game's set of skills, with players policing their own servers and taking social justice into their own hands when members of the community were 'unruly'. In the years since, the social landscape of the game changed along with our internet culture, for better or worse.]
Thanks for the love. I'm the administrator of the game's 2 remaining official US servers, which are owned by the two original programmers who developed the code (blakod, Andrew and Chris Kirmse. The two brothers took the game over again in 2010, from the company Near Death Studios - which had been charging players from 2003-2010, 9.95 a month. The brothers released the game for free, keeping all the characters from 2003 still alive (unwiped servers), allowing for an unprecedented social aspect wherein players from a decade (or longer, now) ago can step back into the boots of their old avatars.
The game's source code was released in 2011 and is available on github for old fans and new to create new worlds and game experiences. https://github.com/Meridian59/Meridian59
The population is not what it once was (it tends to come and go with the seasons, one player makes a huge impact in its world) - but it's worth checking out, historically.
There are now a couple, fan-run open source servers that have been doing a TON of work on the game, some offering more PvE, some more PvP based. Old fans may enjoy checking out some of the changes on these servers...or they may enjoy seeing something a little closer to home. Either way, the game is still alive, thanks to the fans. Users are still getting involved in their old relationships or making news ones, with some incredible stories due to the game being out for a virtual lifetime.
Being on Steam would be a great way to introduce it to new fans and it already has a 'workshop' with new servers and other mods via its open source community. I know many would appreciate it being on there - the more, the merrier. I think after 20 years, the impact such a boon could have is more positive.
['Netiquette' was definitely a part of the game's set of skills, with players policing their own servers and taking social justice into their own hands when members of the community were 'unruly'. In the years since, the social landscape of the game changed along with our internet culture, for better or worse.]